(NewsNation Now) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, 39, confirmed Thursday he is retiring after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl titles.

In a video posted to his Twitter account titled “A message from Ben,” Roethlisberger said:

“The journey has been exhilarating, fueled by a spirit of competition. Yet the time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats and continue to be all I can be to my wife and children. I retire from football a truly grateful man.” 

The much-anticipated decision came less than two weeks after Pittsburgh’s lopsided loss to Kansas City in the first round of the postseason, the 12th time in Roethlisberger’s career the Steelers reached the playoffs.

He hinted before his final game at Heinz Field that it was time for him to move on and spend more time with his wife, Ashley, and their three children and made it a point to embrace the moment following a Monday night win over the Browns on Jan. 3, doing a victory lap of sorts before disappearing down the tunnel surrounded by his family.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.